District may consolidate bus stops, cancel rides for some middle school sports

District plans $4 million in budget adjustments

By Jennifer Brock
C & G Staff Writer

The Troy School District is looking to cut $4 million from its budget for the 2007-08 school year to offset a deficit.

“We are at a crossroads with our budget process,” said Barbara Fowler, superintendent of Troy Public Schools. “To date, we have been able to make significant adjustments to our budget with minimal impact on the quality of programs. However, the state of Michigan needs to assume its responsibility to fund schools and make whatever changes are necessary to bring stability and ensure education is a legislative priority.”

According to the district, the deficit has been caused by a state educational funding dilemma and continued increases in fixed costs.

Besides recommending reducing fund equity by $2,349,372, the district is looking to adjust transportation routes by $159,139, which includes consolidating high school and middle school bus stops. The adjustment also includes eliminating transportation home from middle school track, basketball and volleyball.

The district wants to cut more than $1 million through staffing and program modifications. Those adjustments include reducing one support position through attrition, and eliminating the Newcomers program for ESL students and HOSTS, a mentoring program.

“It’s a program that can be eliminated without impacting achievement,” said Wendy Underwood, secretary of the Troy Board of Education.

The proposed budget also includes implementing electronic forms for progress reports, report cards, bus cars and pay stubs that will save the district $32,000. The district is also looking to change the heating and cooling in buildings by one degree to save $287,000. Student drivers may see a $5 increase in school parking fees.

According to the district, the adjustments were made on the following guidelines: “minimize impact on instruction or programs, take a balanced approach, make reductions now to ensure continued financial strength, identify creative means for revenue enhancements and create advocacy avenues for residents.”

“In  the past five years, we’ve cut $27 million, and so far, there haven’t been any key programs disappear,” said Carol Pochodylo, trustee for the Troy Board of Education. “I don’t want to see things get to that point.”

The 2007-08 proposed budget is based on Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s proposal for educational funding. The governor’s proposal includes maintaining the $9,419 per-pupil funding for the Troy School District, rolling back the state’s retirement rate to 16.72 percent of the payroll and providing a $178 per-pupil increase to school districts for 2007-08.

The governor’s proposals present $5.5 million in revenue to the district.

“We need parents to contact legislators, let them know how important it is … how important it is not to reduce funding this late in the school year,” said Mike Adamczyk, assistant superintendent for business services for the Troy School District.

The district’s proposed budget will be presented in June. If approved by the Troy Board of Education, the adjustments will take effect on July 1.